How To Draw Rakim, Rakim

Step 1.

Alright, let's draw the rap icon, Rakim. We should first sketch out some basic construction lines. Use a 2H or harder pencil and sketch very lightly so that the lines are easy to erase later on after we ink. Sketch the basic shape of the head and neck. The head should be tilted slightly. Be sure to draw crisscross construction lines for the center of the face, the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Step 2.

Let's draw his eyes first. Be sure that they rest evenly along the horizontal construction line of the face. The general rule of thumb is that eyes are roughly one eye width apart from one another. Be sure that the iris and pupils are looking directly at us, and leave a small white dot on each pupil. Draw the eyelids partially over the eyes so that they are half open. Be sure to draw a few creases under the eyes as well.

Step 3.

He has thick eyebrows that rest somewhat low on his face. They should have a smooth arch to them and draw a thin crease between them, above the bridge of the nose.

Step 4.

Rakim's nose is rounded on the tip, and has wide nostrils. The bottom of the tip of the nose also has a small indentation in it. Be sure to draw the vertical creases that begin at the corners of the nostrils and fall down towards the sides of the mouth.

Step 5.

Rakim has a narrow mouth, but large lips. His lower lip should be larger than his upper lip. Draw thin creases on the lips, as well as an indent above the upper lip.

Step 6.

Now draw the contours of the face. Rakim has a slender face and narrow jaw. His chin is long and has an indentation on the bottom of it. Also draw the crease above the chin while you're at it.

Step 7.

Draw his ears somewhat low on his head. Taking the tilt of the head into consideration, be sure that they align evenly with each other. The tops should align about half way with the bridge of the nose, and the bottoms should align with his upper lip. Be sure to draw many curved creases inside the ears.

Step 8.

Rakim typically has a shaved head, but let's draw him wearing a baseball hat to make things interesting. Have the hat resting sideways on his head. Be sure to draw the underside of the bill of the cap and draw some thin creases in the top. Notice how the bottom edge of the hat is not a straight line across his forehead. Instead, it is a smooth arched line.

Step 9.

Finish his face by drawing his goatee. The facial hair should wrap around his mouth and fill his chin. The whiskers are fairly short, but long enough to extend beyond the contours of his chin. There is also a thin strip of whiskers reaching up to his lower lip.

Step 10.

Draw the curved lines of his neck, and cut them off with a curved line, which will be to collar of his shirt. Draw a couple of curved vertical lines inside the neck for the Adam's apple.

Step 11.

We should have him wearing a football jersey with a couple of undershirts beneath it. But draw the jersey first, which should be oversized and covered with vertical wrinkles and creases merging into one another. The collar of the jersey is very wide.

Step 12.

Draw the upper portions of his undershirts. He can be wearing two undershirts. The second undershirt can have a thins strip of trim around the collar to help differentiate it. Also draw some horizontal creases in the fabric.

Step 13.

We're now done penciling the image and we can ink it. Use either Micron markers, or a brush and India ink to do your inking. Carefully go over each line patiently and be sure not to ink any unneeded construction lines. When the ink has dried, erase your pencil marks with a kneaded eraser.

Step 14.

You can add a greater sense of depth to the image by giving it shadow. Use either a thick felt tip marker, or a brush and ink to do your shading. Establish your light source and black out the opposite side of the figure. In this case, the light is coming from above the right side of his head. The areas of heaviest shadow should be the left side of the face, beneath the jaw, beneath the nose, and alongside the creases of the shirt. A brush works wonderfully when shading fabric creases. Black out his facial hair and one of the undershirts.

Step 15.

And that's about it! If you need to make any corrections, use opaque white paint or white ink. You can also use it to do highlights if needed, such as beneath the facial hair like I did here. And that's how you draw Rakim!

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